Melanotan II
Also searched as: MT-II · MT2
Melanotan II is a synthetic cyclic peptide analogue of alpha-MSH, the hormone involved in skin pigmentation. It is not approved anywhere. UK regulators have issued specific public warnings about it, which makes it one of the few compounds here with direct official commentary attached.
What the research has looked at
- Melanogenesis and skin pigmentation in early studies
- Erectile response, which led to the separate development of bremelanotide
- Receptor selectivity across the melanocortin family
This is a description of what has been studied, not a claim about what it does. Evidence level: early human data.
Legal position in the UK
Not a licensed medicine in the UKNot licensed as a medicine in the UK, and unlawful to sell. The MHRA has issued public warnings about unlicensed tanning injections, and there are published case reports of adverse effects including changes to moles. Anyone considering it should read the regulator's own material first.
Handling and storage
Not applicable: we would not describe handling for a compound the UK regulator has specifically warned the public about.
Vial sizes: Not lawfully supplied in the UK. Where a manufacturer supplies handling instructions, those take precedence over anything general.
Questions
- Is Melanotan II legal in the UK?
- No. It is an unlicensed medicine and selling it is unlawful. The MHRA has issued public warnings about unlicensed tanning injections specifically.
- Why is it listed here at all?
- Because it is heavily searched and the accurate answer is one people should be able to find: it is unlicensed, it is unlawful to sell here, and the regulator has warned about it. Leaving the page out would not stop anyone looking; it would just mean they read a seller's version instead.